A bike for Stuart’s beloved

March 13, 2013

Bike lovers – we have a reader contribution!

And just in the nick of time… I’ve been in the grip of blogger’s existential angst and just today was considering pressing pause on Little Bike Blog when I came home to find a message from Stuart in my inbox

This is Stuart’s wife’s new bike as found…

And this is what he he transformed it to…

and this is what he had to say about it…

this is how it ended up! rechromed and rebuilt original wheels, new 2 pack paint, new decals, everything polished. I think I like riding it more than my wife! The back story is that she wanted a retro bike like some of her friends had, but I promised her I would do something a bit different, and restore a genuine French retro bike. it is all original, even the lights work. I had a lot of enjoyment restoring it, and it gets heaps of comments! I love looking on this blog, have been lurking for a while, there are some real nice bikes on there. Nice work!

(Note how I left in the bit about how he likes the blog…was that wrong?)

And here is what I have to say about it:
1. NICE RED! (everyone knows red bikes go faster)

2. love the addition of the congratulatory beer in the photo

3. did you take a leaf out those make-over shows when you were taking the ‘before’ shot? Not really showing it in its best light crammed into the workshop, unflattering angle etc.

4. very exciting to see a non-folding small wheeled Gitane – it’s a Little Bike Blog first

5. hooray for Stuart, you have restored my faith that we little bike folk like to see what each other are up to.

stuart i love this bike! and i love this blog. once a month or so i make a nice cup of fennel and liquorice tea and catch up on all the little bikes and fill myself with awe and envy. i have even found myself identifying gorgeous little bikes with gorgeous little features in the streets of our town. one day, one day…

Folding Cyclists
A site dedicated to folding bikes – this links to their photo gallery which has some delicious retro folders, and at least one exquisite contemporary one called Rad Concept.

My NS22
One man’s journey into restoring a NS22 Peugot (folder). This guy really has the folding Peugoet bug; if you want to know how many spokes it has, this is your site.

Small Wheeled Bikes by Tony Hadland (UK)
A feast of articles about small wheeled bikes that includes a brief yet strangely comprehensive history of the Raleigh Twenty, in all its incarnations, including the Stowaway.

The Raleigh Twenty
An absolute must site for any one who rides or admires the Raleigh Twenty. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how many of you there are out there.

Vetti live in Northcote
Nothing to do with bikes: everything to do with seeing the gorgeous things around us, she has a keen eye, especially for little street art gems and serendipidous bits of beauty in the ordinary. Have a squizz: you won’t regret it.